15 May 23

RSPB Radipole Lake

Whilst Ted and Benji were being pampered at the dog groomers, I took the opportunity to have a good walk around Radipole Lake in Weymouth.

Main highlights here were a Common Tern, 100's of Swifts and hirundines, plus six warbler species.

I also had a new species to add to my list: a Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus).

Birds Recorded:
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron
Mute Swan
2 Shelduck
Mallard
2 Tufted Duck
Water Rail
Coot
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
1 Common Tern
Wood Pigeon
50+ Swift
1 Green Woodpecker
30+ Sand Martin
10+ House Martin
10+ Swallow
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
15+ Reed Warbler
8 Cetti's Warbler
1 Garden Warbler
3 Common Whitethroat
5 Blackcap
5 Chiffchaff
1 Coal Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

A Grey Heron

And a Common Tern looking for small fish to feed on

Apart from the Common Tern, there is a Swift middle left and in the reedbeds below the tern is a Sand Martin.

More Swifts

Fish Recorded:

Common Carp

Common Carp spawning

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:

4 Blue-tailed Damselfly

3 Banded Demoiselle

A female Blue-tailed Damselfly............

................. rufescens form

A male Banded Demoiselle and........

............another male.

Butterflies Recorded:
5 Large White
4 Small White
1 Brimstone
1 Red Admiral


Bees Recorded:

Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Hoverflies Recorded:

#1 - Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

#2 - The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

#3 - cheloisa sp.

#1 - Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

#2 - The Footballer (Helophilus pendulus)

#3 - cheloisa sp.

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:

Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)

Alder Fly (Sialis lutaria)

Crickets and Grasshoppers Recorded:
Long Winged Cone-head (Conocephalus fuscus)

Long Winged Cone-head nymph

Plants:

Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)

Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus). More on this flower here.